Hose clamp



United States atent HOSE CLAMP Robert W. Seltzer, Hartford, Conn.

Application January 9, 1953, Serial No. 330,533

4 Claims. (Cl. 24279) This invention relates to adjustable hose clamps and more particularly to an adjustable hose clamp having its adjusting screw positioned for easy access to a mechanic adjusting the hose clamp.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an adjustable hose clamp having clamp tightening means operated by a tool receiving element which is accessible from a direction longitudinally of the associated hose as well as a tool receiving element accessible from a direction substantially at right angles to the associated hose, as is usually the case; which utilizes a single screw to connect and disconnect as well as to adjust the clamp; which encloses the operating parts of the adjusting mechanism in a closed housing; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, easy to operate, and positive and effective in operation.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hose clamp illustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

With continued reference to the drawing, the hose clamp comprises an elongated band or strap of flexible material, preferably a flat strap of resiliently elastic metal having substantially parallel side edges. The strap 10 is longitudinally curved to substantially circular shape and has at one end an outwardly projecting tab or lug portion 11 provided with a central aperture 12. A nut 13 is secured to the lug formation 11 at one side of the latter with its aperture in alignment with the aperture 12 in the lug formation 11 and a receptacle 1d of rectangular shape is disposed on the convex surface of the strap at a location spaced from the other end of the strap. The threaded aperture in the nut 13 and the aligned aperture 12 constitute a screw threaded aperture. The receptacle 14 has a bottom wall 15 disposed against the convex outer surface of the strap 15 and provided with spaced apart apertures of elongated shape respectively receiving tongues 16 struck out of the portion of the strap on which the receptacle is superimposed, these tongues being flattened against the inner side of the bottom wall 15 of the receptacle and secured to the receptacle by suitable means such as soldering or welding, if considered necessary, to firmly attach the receptacle 14 to the strap 10. The receptacle also has end walls 17 and 18 spaced apart longitudinally of the strap 10 and disposed substantially parallel to each other and side walls 19 and 20 extending one along each side edge of the strap in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship to each other and joined at their opposite ends to the corresponding ends of the end walls 17 and 18. The side and end walls of the receptacle are also joined to the corresponding edges of the bottom wall so that the receptacle constitutes a rigid body of functiorn ally unitary construction.

The end walls 17 and 18 of the receptacle are provided with mutually aligned notches 21 and 22 respectively which extend from the edges of these end walls at the outer or upper open side of the receptacle toward the bottom wall 15 of the receptacle medially of the width of the end walls and terminate at locations substantially midway the height of the corresponding end walls of the receptacle.

An elongated screw 23 extends through the apertures 21 and 22 in the receptacle end walls and is threaded through the nut 13 on the lug formation 11 of the strap. At its end remote from the nut 13 the screw is provided with a head 24 having a tool slot 25 extending thereacross which head is disposed at the outer side of the receptacle end wall 21 remote from the lug formation 11. At the inner side of the end wall 17 the screw is provided with outwardly projecting, oppositely disposed tabs 26 which engage the inner side of the end wall to preclude movement of the screw out of the housing through the slots 21 and 22.

A beveled gear 27 is secured on the screw 23 at the inner side of the end wall 18 of the receptacle nearest the lug formation 11 and is disposed coaxially of the screw. This gear is fixed on the screw against rotation relative thereto by suitable means, such as the lock nut 28 threaded onto the screw and bearing against the end of the gear 27 remote from the receptacle end wall 18. At its end remote from the lock nut 28 the gear 27 bears against the inner side of the end wall 18 and transmits to this end wall the reaction to the force exerted by the screw to pull the lug formation 11 on one end of the strap toward the receptacle 14 mounted on the strap adjacent its other end to circumferentially contract the strap about a hose disposed therein. It will be noted that an end portion 30 of the strap extends beyond the receptacle 14 and overlaps the inner side of the end portion of the strap from which the lug formation 11 projects so that the strap will extend entirely around an associated hose without any gap between its ends.

A second beveled gear 31 is disposed in the receptacle 14 and meshes with the gear 27. This second gear 31 has one end disposed against the side wall 19 of the receptacle and this side wall is provided with an aperture coaxial of the gear 31. A stud 32 extends through the aperture in the receptacle side wall 19 and is coaxially secured to the gear 31, this stud having its rotational axis disposed substantially at right angles to the rotational axis of the screw 23. The stud 32 has on one end a head 33 disposed at the outer side of the side wall 19 of the receptacle and provided with a transversely extending tool slot 34.

The screw heads 24 and 33 provide tool receiving elements for adjusting the hose clamp with the head 24 accessible from a direction substantially at right angles to the associated hose and the head 33 accessible from a direction longitudinally of the associated hose. The hose clamp can be tightened by rotating the screw 23 with a suitable tool, such as a screwdriver, inserted into the tool slot 25 in the screw head 24 and can also be tightened by a screwdriver inserted into the tool slot 34 in the head 33 of the stud to rotate the screw 23 through the intermediacy of the bevel gears 31 and 27. The hose clamp is thus accessible for adjustment from at least two entirely ditferent positions and greatly facilitates the changing of hose connections and the adjustment of the hose clamp when the hose clamp is located in a relatively inaccessible situation, as is often the case in modern automobile engines and similar devices.

A cover 35 of substantially rectangular shape and having a flat intermediate portion 36 and fiat legs 37 and 38 extending perpendicularly from the intermediate portion at the respectively opposite ends of the latter is placed on the receptacle 14 to close the open outer end of the receptacle. This cover is positioned with its intermediate portion 36 overlying the open outer endof the receptacle and with its leg 37 disposed at the outer side of the receptacle end wall 17 and its leg 38 disposed at the outer side of the receptacle end wall 18. The cover legs 37 and 38 are provided with notches 39 and 40 respectively which extend inwardly from the ends of the legs remote from the intermediate portion 36 medially of the width of the corresponding legs and receive the portions of the screw 23 at the outer sides of the receptacle end walls 17 and 18, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. The adjusting mechanism of the adjustable hose clamp is thus enclosed in a closed housing provided by the receptacle 14 and the cover 35.

As all of the parts of the hose clamp except the screw 34, the stud 32 and the bevel gears 27 and 31 may be economically formed from suitable sheet metal stock and, as the screw and stud may be inexpensive articles readily available on the market and the bevel gears may be formed by an economical stamping or pressing operation, since they do not have to be extremely accurate, the entire hose clamp can be constructed at a cost which renders its use in ordinary commercial installations entirely practical.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable hose clamp comprising a flexible strap having a screw threaded aperture adjacent one end thereof, a receptacle secured to said strap adjacent the other end thereof and having a first aperture therein disposed in alignment with said screw threaded aperture when said clamp is in hose-clamping position, a screw extending through said first aperture in said receptacle and threaded through said screw threaded aperture in said strap, a first beveled gear disposed in said receptacle and secured to said screw coaxially thereof, a second beveled gear disposed in said receptacle and meshing with said first beveled gear, said receptacle having a second aperture therein spaced from said first aperture, and a stud extending through said second aperture and secured to said second beveled gear coaxially thereof with its rotational axis substantially at right angles to the rotational axis of said screw and having a tool receiving formation thereon at the outer side of said receptacle.

2. An adjustable hose clamp comprising a flexible strap having a screw threaded aperture adjacent one end thereof, a receptacle secured to said strap adjacent the other end thereof and having apertures therein spaced apart longitudinally of said strap, a screw disposed in the apertures in said receptacle and threaded through the screw threaded aperture in said strap, said screw having on the end thereof remote from said screw threaded aperture a tool-receiving formation disposed at the outer side of said receptacle, a first beveled gear disposed in said receptacle and secured to said screw coaxially thereof, a second beveled thereon at the outer side of said receptacle.

3. An adjustable hose clamp comprising a flexible strap having a screw threaded aperture adjacent one end thereof, a receptacle secured to said strap adjacent the other end thereof and having apertures therein spaced apart longitudinally of said strap, a screw disposed in the apertures in said receptacle and threaded through the screw threaded aperture in said strap, said screw having on the end thereof remote from said screw threaded aperture a toolreceiving formation disposed at the outer side of said receptacle, a first beveled gear disposed in said receptacle and secured to said screw coaxially thereof, a second beveled gear disposed in said receptacle and meshing with said first beveled gear, said receptacle having a second aperture therein spaced from said first aperture, a stud extending through said second aperture and secured to said second beveled gear coaxially thereof with its rotational axis substantially at right angles to the rotational axis of said screw and having a tool-receiving formation thereon at the outer side of said receptacle, said receptacle being open at the side thereof remote from said strap, and a cover releasably secured on said receptacle covering the open side thereof to constitute with said receptacle a closed housing enclosing said beveled gears.

4. An adjustable hose clamp comprising a flexible strap curved to substantially circular shape and having an outwardly projecting tab portion at one end thereof, said tab portion having a screw threaded aperture, the other end of said strap overlapping the inner side of said one strap end from which the tab projects so that the strap will extend entirely around an associated hose without a gap between the strap ends, a receptacle secured to said strap adjacent said one end thereof and having a first aperture therein disposed in alignment with said screw threaded aperture when said clamp is in hose-clamping position, a screw extending through said first aperture in said receptacle and threaded through said screw threaded aperture in said strap, a first beveled gear disposed in said receptacle and secured to said screw coaxially thereof, a second beveled gear disposed in said receptacle and meshing with said first beveled gear, said receptacle having a second aperture therein spaced from said first aperture, and a stud extending through said second aperture and secured to said second beveled gear coaxially thereof with its rotational axis substantially at right angles to the rotational axis of said screw and having a tool receiving formation thereon at the outer side of said receptacle, so that upon rotation of said screw or said stud the strap may be clamped upon the associated hose.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 79,340 Gillman June 30, 1868 2,604,098 Kranc July 22, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 548,846 Great Britain Oct. 27, 1942 

